CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODS

A. Type of the Research

This research can be classified as classroom action research since it is

conducted to improve the teaching of reading in the classroom. Action

research is a kind of research in which the teacher can involve in, in order to

improve some aspects of their teaching or to evaluate the success or

appropriateness of particular techniques or procedures. 1 This research aims to

improve the quality of teaching and learning process. The research was

conducted based on the preliminary observations of the teaching and learning

process, and the interviews done to the English teacher and some students.

B. Research Design

The research on improving the teaching of reading through the Silent

Card Shuffle Strategy focused on developing the materials and media on the

topics that would be taught. It was conducted collaboratively with the English

teacher, the collaborator, and the students of VIII in MTsN 3 Kerinci.

The procedures of the research consisted of formulating the problems

which happened during the English teaching and learning, planning the

actions, implementing the actions, observing the implementation of the

actions, and making reflections from the actions. Action research is a kind of

research in which the teacher can involve in, in order to improve some

aspects of their teaching or to evaluate the success or appropriateness of

1
Harmer, J., The Practice of English Language Teaching 3 Edition, (Edinburgh: Pearson
Education Limited, 2002), p. 22

49
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particular techniques or procedures. The action research was conducted

following the steps proposed by Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) in Burns.2

Figure 3: The Action Research Cycles

The researcher created various materials with different difficulty

levels for each set of cards which were used in every meeting. The materials

were adjusted to the topics in the Standard of Competence and Basic

Competence.

C. Participants of the Research

The participants were the eighth grade students (VIII A) of MTsN 3

Kerinci. The number of participant this research is 17 Student. It was decided

after conducting an observation, interviews with the students and the English

teacher to find the problems in the students’ reading comprehension. Based

on the problems, the SCSS was viewed as an appropriate strategy to be

2
Burns, A., Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers, (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1999), p. 161
 51

implemented in the class. The decision was taken based on the agreement

between the researcher and the English teacher.

D. Data Collection Technique

The research data were collected in the forms of qualitative data

which were supported by quantitative data. The qualitative data were acquired

through observations and interviews. The researcher collected the opinions

and comments about the actions from the research participants. They were

asked about theirex pectations toward the research as well.

The data were to describe about the learning process using the Silent

Card Shuffle Strategy and to know the changes or impacts after conducting

the actions. Meanwhile, the quantitative data were obtained from the

students’ scores in the pre-test and the post-test. It aimed to know about the

students’ result after the actions had been [Link] data collected were

both in the form of qualitative data.

Hence, in gaining the data, the data collection techniques were used,

such as by conducting observation, interviews, and documentation.

1. Observation

Observation is the systematic observation and recording of

symptoms were studied.3 As a scientific method of observation defined by

the systematic observation and recording of the phenomena investigated.

In a strict sense is not limited to observations carried out directly or

indirectly. The observation led the researcher to find the problems directly
3
Amirul Hadi, Metodologi Penelitian Pendidikan, (Bandung : Pustaka Setia, 2005), p.
94.
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by involving herself to the class. As mentioned by Denscombe two kinds

of observation research are the systematic observation and participant

observation.4.

a. Observation sheet

Observation sheet is assists educators to gather information

about how their teaching is viewed by others in school .In the

research, the researcher uses the instruments to see and to note the real

activities proceeded in the classroom. The researcher use

observation sheet concerned with two kinds of sheet, a teacher’s

observation sheet and a students’ observation sheet that use by the

researcher during the observation of the teaching and learning process

done by the teacher.

b. Field Note

Field notes is method of data collection by making written

records on whatever happens in the field. Field notes refer to

transcribed notes account derived from data collected during

observation and interviews. The filed notes were used to collect

the data during the teaching and learning process which was not

included in the observation sheets.

2. Interview

4
Martvn Denscombe, The Good Research Guide for Small-Scale Social Research
Projects, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007), p. 206
 53

In the practice, the researcher did the interviews to the English

teacher and the students to find out the problems related to the reading

class. The interviews were also done at the end of every meeting with the

English teacher, and the students, to know about the teaching and learning

process that had been conducted.

3. Pre-test and Post-test

The pre-test was conducted before the actions were implemented,

while thepost-test was done after the actions. The pre-test and the post-

test were in the formof reading tests. The assessment technique was a

multiple choice form. The pretestand the post-test were used to measure

the students’ reading skills. The data of the pre-test and the post-test were

collected in the formof students’ scores. The mean score of the post-test

would be compared with themean score of the pre-test. This aimed to

know the improvement of the students’reading skills.

E. Technique of Data Analysis

After conducting the research, the researcher analyzed the data from

the observation checklists, field notes, interview transcripts, and the results of

the pre test and the post-test. The researcher also compared the data from the

observations, the interviews, and the pre-test and the post-test scores. The

researcher collected the data from all of the research members. In analyzing

the qualitative data, the researcher used the processes of analyzing data

proposed by Burns as presented below.

1. Assembling the data

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The researcher collected the data from the observations, the

interviews, the pre-test and the post-test, including the reflections that

were made after conducting the actions. In this step, broad patterns and

ideas were needed.

2. Coding the data

The broad descriptions that had been developed in the first step

were refinedinto the more specific categories. Then, the researcher

divided the data that couldbe decoded qualitatively i.e. the field notes and

the interview transcripts, and quantitatively i.e. the pre-test and the post-

test scores.

3. Comparing the data

After the data had been categorized, the researcher needed to

compare the data from different sources of data, for example the

interviews compared with the observations and the pre-test and the post-

test scores. This aimed to see whether the data showed the same

conclusion or the contrasts.

4. Building meanings and interpretation

The researcher needed to think deeply about the data and explored

for more detailed aspects from the data. It was necessary to develop

questions, making connection, and making further explanation of the data.

Then, the researcher refined her own “personal theories” about the

findings of the research.

5. Reporting the outcomes

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The last step was reporting the main process and the outcomes of

the research that were well supported by the data. Meanwhile, the

quantitative data (the students’ reading scores) were analyzed by

calculating the mean scores of the pre-test and the post-test. The mean

scores of each test were compared. The increase of the mean scores

indicated that the students’ reading skills were improved. The

improvement of students’ reading skills became one of the indicators for

the improvement of the teaching process.5

F. Validity and Reliability of the Data

The data obtained must be valid and reliable. Heaton in Johnson

defines validity as “the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to

measure”. So if the researcher wants to test students’ reading skill, then she

must conduct a reading test.

To obtain the research validity, the researcher applied the criteria of

validity proposed by Anderson et al. in Burns. The criteria were democratic

validity, process validity, outcome validity, catalytic validity and dialogic

validity.

1. Democratic validity

Democratic validity is related to the extent in which the research is

truly conducted collaboratively and includes multiple choices. To gain the

democratic validity the researcher conducted the interviews with the

research members i.e. the students of VIII in MTsN 3 Kerinci, the English

5
Bruns, Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching, (New York: Routledge,
2010), p. 104
 56

teacher, and the collaborator. This aimed to know their comments or

opinions about the research.

2. Outcome validity

Outcome validity is related to the notions of actions leading to

outcomes which are successful within the context. This was obtained from

the reflections in every meeting and the students’ scores of reading pre-

test and post-test.

3. Process validity

Process validity is related to the reliability and competency of the

research it self. The researcher did an observation during the

implementation by using observation checklists and interviews after the

implementation. The actions were done by regarding the classroom

learning process during the research.

4. Catalytic validity

Catalytic validity is related to the extent in which the research can

make the participants understand more about the social context and make

changes in the research. The researcher allowed the participants to get

deeper understanding of the materials and how they can create changes

about their understanding of their actions. It was done by making the

reflections of students’ attitudes toward the actions and also interviewing

the participants.

5. Dialogic validity
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To gain this validity, the researcher conducted some discussions

with the English teacher and the collaborator who had observed the

research process.6

In addition, the data of the research must be reliable. Reliability means

the consistency of measurement. It means that when the researcher conducts

the same actions to the same participants within two days, the results are

consistent.

Burns, proposes four kinds of triangulation namely time triangulation,

space triangulation, investigator triangulation, and theoretical triangulation.

However, in this research the researcher used time triangulation, investigator

triangulation, and theoretical triangulation. Time triangulation means that the

data were collected over a period of time. The research was done from

Auguts to october 2020. Then, investigator triangulation means that more

than one observer were used in the same research setting (at least 3). This

aimed to avoid a bias observation in the research. The last one is theoretical

triangulation. It means that the data were analyzed from more than one

perspective from some theoretical reviews. The researcher reviewed the

theories from some experts in many books.7

In this study, the researcher compared the data collected from the

observation, the interviews, and the results of pre-test and post-test. The data

being compared were the observation data in the form of field notes, the

6
Burns, Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers, p. 161
7
Burns, Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers, p. 164
 58

interview data in the form of interview transcripts, and the pre-test and the

post-test data in the form of reading scores.

G. Procedure of the Research

To conduct action research, the researcher followed some steps.

According to Kemmis and McTaggart, there are four broad steps in a cycle of

action research:

1. Planning

In this step, the researcher collected much information from the

observations and the interviews done to the teacher and the students. The

researcher observed the English classroom teaching and learning process

in class VIII of MTsN 3 Kerinci. This aimed to identify the problems

which happened during the teaching and learning process. After that, a

plan of actions was developed to solve the problems and make some

improvements of a specific area of the teaching and learning process. The

actions were planned based on the problems, the Standard of Competence

and Basic Competence, as well as the condition of the school.

2. Action

After designing a plan, the researcher implemented the actions.

The actions were conducted in two cycles consisting of three actions in

each cycle. Each cycle was done in three meetings.

3. Observation
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While the action was being implemented, the researcher with the

help of the collaborator observed the learning process. This aimed to find

out the weakness and the positive aspects that were needed to be fixed up

and developed.

4. Reflection

After doing the observation, the researcher reflected to the actions.

Then, the researcher discussed the problems and the achievement during

the implementation of the action with the English teacher and the

collaborators. From the discussion, the researcher made an evaluation.

This gave influences to the researcher in designing the actions for the next

cycle or in deciding whether there would be the next cycle or not.8

In addition, Mills proposes a step which is called reconnaissance. This

step is a preliminary information gathering in which the researcher collected

adequate information about the research target. The researcher takes time to

reflect with the beliefs and understandings about the nature and context of the

general idea which has been developed.9

8
Bruns, [Link]., p. 7
9
Mills, G.E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher 2nd Edition, (New
Jersey: Pearson Education, 2003), p. 26